Magic Lantern (charity)

Magic Lantern is an educational charity in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Diana Schomberg in 1994.[1] The charity delivers interactive art history workshops in schools throughout England.[2]

Official logo designed by Jake Tilson
Magic Lantern team member, Helen Anderson, running an interactive art history workshop in Reigate, April 2016. Reported by Reigate Arts Society. http://www.reigatedfas.org.uk/OtherActivities/YoungArts.aspx
Magic Lantern workshop leader, Helen Anderson, leads a workshop on Pop Art for a year 1 class in Albion Primary School, London Borough of Southwark http://www.albionprimaryschool.co.uk/class-news/tangerine/the-magic-lantern-art-workshop

The charity's remit is to introduce children to art and make art accessible to anyone.[3][4][5] Alongside its work in schools, Magic Lantern also works with adult groups in centres including prisons, hospices and homeless centres.[6][7][8]

History edit

Retired school teacher Diana Schomberg set up the charity in 1994 with a grant from Marks and Spencer.[9][8] Subsequent sponsors of the charity have included The Arts Society (formerly NADFAS),[10][11][12][13] the Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation,[14] Newcomen Collett Foundation,[15] The Woodward Charitable Trust,[16] The Garfield Weston Foundation,[17] and The Gillian Dickinson Trust.[18]

One of Magic Lantern's former workshop leaders was curator, author, editor, and educationist Ingrid Beazley.[19]

In 2010 Matthew Sanders became Magic Lantern's director.[20][21]

 
Children from Rosary RC Primary School, LEA Camden, pose as the Discobolus during a Magic Lantern workshop on Ancient Greece. Reported in First News 15–21 December 2017.[22]

On 16 June 2013 Magic Lantern ran pop-up family workshops in London's Trafalgar Square as part of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year.[23]

In 2016 Magic Lantern ran a series of sessions for children in the paediatric ward of the Harley Street Clinic on the subject of "Feelings."[24]

In 2018 Magic Lantern's workshop leaders Pippa Bell and Margaret Bodley Edwards ran a series of workshops for refugees and asylum seekers in Westgate Baptist Church in Newcastle.[25]

HENI Talks selected Magic Lantern to feature in its 2018 Christmas film which was filmed in Holmleigh Primary School in Hackney, north London.[26]

As of September 2022 the charity has 10 workshop leaders and six trustees[2] and operates in Devon, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Herefordshire, Kent, Northumberland, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Tyne and Wear, Worcestershire and Cyprus.

Patrons edit

In 2013 William Vaughan, Professor Emeritus of History of Art, Birkbeck College, London, became Magic Lantern's first patron.[27] In 2014 children's author and illustrator James Mayhew became its second.[28] In 2019 actor Bill Murray became a patron,[29] followed in 2020 by art and cultural historian Dr Janina Ramirez.[30]

Awards edit

In 2011 Magic Lantern was awarded the Inspire Mark by LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) for its workshop "The Olympic Games, Past and Present."[31] By the end of the project, Magic Lantern workshop leaders had given a total of 627 of these workshops in 103 schools in 32 Local Education Authorities reaching approximately 18,800 children.[32]

In 2019 Magic Lantern was awarded with a JM Barrie Members' Award by Action for Children's Arts for "25 years of helping people to observe and explore the world around them and to think creatively and critically through a series of art history workshops."[33][34][35][non-primary source needed][36]

References edit

  1. ^ Franks, Helen (12 October 1994). "Education: Putting on a big act for art: A new project for schools breathes life into the world's great masterpieces, says Helen Franks". The Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Charity Details". Charity Commission. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Introducing children to art and galleries near you". Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  4. ^ Sanders, Matthew (October 2015). "Frames of Mind" (PDF). Teach Primary.
  5. ^ "Being... Matthew Sanders, Director, Magic Lantern | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Clinks". Clinks Directory.
  7. ^ "The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance". The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance.
  8. ^ a b Ewing, Ed (February 2004). "Magic Moments" (PDF). The Guide. 172: 1, 2, 16–17.
  9. ^ "Marks & Spencer ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1998 (page 30)" (PDF). June 1998.
  10. ^ "THE ARTS SOCIETY CHISWICK – YOUNG ARTS PROJECT". 7 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Young Arts".
  12. ^ "Young Arts".
  13. ^ "The Arts Society Hampstead Heath Summer 2017 Newsletter" (PDF).
  14. ^ "The Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation Governors' report and Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2013 (page 17)" (PDF). 31 December 2013.
  15. ^ "Grants made in 2010". 2010.
  16. ^ "Recent Awards | The Woodward Charitable Trust". woodwardcharitabletrust.org.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  17. ^ "Garfield Weston Foundation Recent Grants" (PDF). Garfield Weston Foundation.
  18. ^ "Magic Lantern". March 2012.
  19. ^ Manwell, Ellie (17 May 2017). "Ingrid Beazley obituary". The Guardian.
  20. ^ Pointon, Marcia (2014). History of Art: A Student's Handbook. UK: Routledge. pp. 139, 140. ISBN 978-0415639248.
  21. ^ "History of Art Careers in Focus". University of Warwick.
  22. ^ "Magic Lantern Workshop" (PDF). First News. Issue 600: 25. 15–21 December 2017. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  23. ^ "Portrait Artist of the Year – Sunday 16th June Trafalgar Square". London-Baby. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  24. ^ "Psychosocial Creative Programme | Arts Health and Wellbeing". www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  25. ^ Conner-Hill, Rachel (19 December 2018). "Refugees and asylum seekers record journeys through art". The Northern Echo.
  26. ^ "Making Magic: Inspiring Children with Art". HENI Talks. 21 December 2018.
  27. ^ "Will Vaughan". willvaughan.com. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  28. ^ "Biography | James Mayhew". James Mayhew – Author & Illustrator. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  29. ^ "Magic Lantern on Instagram: "Exciting news: As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we are thrilled to announce that the legend that is Bill Murray, a long time…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  30. ^ @drjaninaramirez (9 June 2020). "Register" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 June 2020 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ "Inspire Legacy Book: A Record of the London 2012 Inspire Programme (page 247)" (PDF). 9 September 2012.
  32. ^ "Charity Details" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  33. ^ "The 2019 JM Barrie Award | Action for Children's Arts". 8 June 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  34. ^ "JM Barrie Awards: In Photos". Action for Children's Arts. 23 March 2020.
  35. ^ "Action for Children's Arts announces 2019 JM Barrie Award winners". Twitter. 24 May 2019.
  36. ^ "Philip Pullman receives J M Barrie Award | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 9 November 2019.

External links edit